Wonder Boys aim for No. 500 against MuleridersBy Danny Scott Sports Editor The stage is set for Arkansas Tech, and the cameras are ready to roll. The Wonder Boys can accomplish two major goals when they take the field for tonight's 7 p.m. matchup against Southern Arkansas in Magnolia. A victory would give the Wonder Boys (5-3, 3-3 Gulf South Conference) six wins, just enough to secure a winning season. It would also mark the program's 500th all-time victory. Two birds, one stone, and Tech...

Golden Suns fall on the road to Lady BisonCourier sports staff Arkansas Tech volleyball closed the road portion of its 2006 regular season schedule Tuesday night by falling in three games to Harding (12-30, 16-30, 26-30) in Gulf South Conference action at Rhodes Fieldhouse in Searcy. With the loss, Tech (18-16 overall, 4-7 GSC) completed GSC road action with a 1-5 mark, including losing its final two road matches in league play. In addition, Tech fell to 5-8 on opponents home courts t...

Tech football notesBy Danny Scott Sports Editor "It wasn't pretty, but we'll take it," could have been the mantra of Arkansas Tech football coach Steve Mullins these last two weeks. After hitting a mid-season skid that ended Tech's conference championship and national playoff hopes, the Wonder Boys (5-3, 3-3 GSC) have won two straight. Neither was a thing of beauty, but after three straight losses, any win looks good. Mullins was proud of his defense following a...

Mullins: Stiger done for seasonBy Danny Scott Sports Editor More bad news on the injury front for Arkansas Tech: W-back Tracey Stiger dislocated his shoulder while returning a kickoff during Saturday's 55-35 win over Ouachita Baptist and will miss the final two games of the season. Tech coach Steve Mullins said Stiger, a versatile sophomore from Russellville, leaves several holes to fill. "He catches the ball, he runs the ball, he's a return guy," Mullins said. "It's not li...

Barthel named GSC offensive POTWBy The Associated Press Arkansas Tech quarterback Cole Barthel was named Gulf South Conference offensive player of the week Monday after throwing for 321 yards and five touchdowns in a 55-35 win at Ouachita Baptist. Barthel went 25 of 30 and tied a Tech record for touchdown passes in a game. The Wonder Boys gained 581 yards of offense, their most since 1996. Harding cornerback Robert Towns was named defensive player of the week. The special te...

Ozarks earns weekend splitCourier sports staff The University of the Ozarks men's and women's soccer team split four matches during a weekend trip to Texas. The Eagles (11-5-1, 8-3-0 American Southwest Conference) fell 1-0 to Schreiner on Friday before bouncing back with a 4-1 win over Texas Lutheran on Saturday. The Lady Eagles (7-8-2, 4-7-0) did just the opposite, knocking off Schreiner 4-2 on Friday before falling 2-0 to Texas Lutheran on Saturday. The win over Schr...

Barthel's performance ignites Tech offenseBy Danny Scott Sports Editor Arkansas Tech quarterback Cole Barthel turned in a career performance on a positively offensive Saturday in Arkadelphia. Barthel completed 25 of 30 passes for 321 yards and five touchdowns as the Wonder Boys spoiled Ouachita Baptist's homecoming with a 55-35 win. The five touchdown passes tied the school record set by former Tech quarterback and offensive coordinator Todd Cooley in 1996. It was the second consecuti...

Suns finish 11th at GSC championshipCourier sports staff The Arkansas Tech cross country team finished 11th at the Gulf South Conference championship held Saturday in Huntsville, Ala. The Golden Suns finished with 304 points. Harding dominated the women's 5K race with 19 points. Alabama-Huntsville (91) was a distant second, followed by North Alabama (106). Five Harding runners finished in the top six, including sophomore Janee Jones, who won the race with a time of 17:48.9. Tech...

Expectations high for Golden SunsCourier sports staff Expectations are high for the Arkansas Tech women's basketball team heading into Todd Schaefer's second year at the helm. The Golden Suns were picked by Gulf South Conference coaches to finish third in the West Division, behind Delta State (Miss.) and Henderson State, according to a release obtained Thursday by The Courier. Tech received 38 points, including one first-place vote. Delta State edged HSU 46-45 for the top spo...

Wonder Boys must prove themselvesCourier sports staff With a brand new coach and a dozen new players, the Arkansas Tech men's basketball team will have to prove itself to Gulf South Conference coaches. The Wonder Boys were picked by league coaches to finish last in the eight-team GSC West Division, according to a release obtained Thursday by The Courier. First-year head coach Mark Downey was not surprised. The Wonder Boys have just three players returning from a team that fin...

With three games left, Tech still has plenty to play forStraight from the Press By Danny Scott Sports Editor A Gulf South Conference championship and national playoff berth are now out of reach, but the Arkansas Tech football team still has plenty to play for this season. With three games remaining, the Wonder Boys need to win two to secure a winning season. Coincidentally, two is also the number of victories Tech needs to reach the school's 500th all-time win, a very significant milestone. Honestl...

Lady Cyclones close in on 7A Central titleCourier sports staff The Russellville volleyball team took another big step toward the 7A Central title Thursday with a 3-1 win at Little Rock Central. The Lady Cyclones (14-5, 9-2 7A Central) lost the first game 25-18 but won the next three handily, 25-13, 25-12, 25-19. Candace Scott had 13 kills for RHS, while Megan Simpson added eight kills and eight blocks. Also Thursday, RHS won the junior varsity match 13-25, 25-15, 15-13. The Lady Cyclo...

Tech's McNack earns national recognitionCourier sports staff Arkansas Tech defensive end Terry McNack was named the NCAA Division II national defensive player of the week Wednesday by Don Hansen's Football Gazette. McNack, a sophomore from Beggs, Okla., recorded 12 tackles, including seven solo stops, and also forced a fumble during Tech's 7-6 win over then-No. 25 Henderson State on Saturday. The performance also earned him Gulf South Conference defensive player of the week honors. ...

Suns runner earns GSC weekly honorCourier sports staff Arkansas Tech cross country runner Melissa Pollreis was named the Gulf South Conference women's cross country runner of the week Tuesday. Pollreis, a freshman from Gravette, won the honor after her strong performance at last Saturday's 2006 Chile Pepper X-C Festival hosted by the University of Arkansas. She finished the 6K race in a career-best time of 25:10.1. Pollreis is the third Golden Sun runner to be named a runner o...

Able bodies make for spirited competitionBy Danny Scott Sports Editor The Arkansas Tech women's basketball team began practice Sunday, and the Golden Suns haven't lacked for enthusiasm this week, according to second-year head coach Todd Schaefer. Attitudes have been great, Schaefer said, and 14 of his 15 players are healthy and ready to go. "We've had a great preseason," he said. "We've avoided injuries, and our kids worked hard in our preseason program." All those able bodies has ma...

Unranked OBU a welcome sight for TechBy Danny Scott Sports Editor After four consecutive games against nationally ranked opponents, the Arkansas Tech football team finally catches a break this week. On paper, at least. The Wonder Boys (4-3, 2-3 Gulf South Conference) travel to Arkadelphia on Saturday to face Ouachita Baptist (1-6, 0-5) for the Tigers' homecoming at 1:30 p.m. There are no real breaks in the GSC, but any school without a ranking in front of its name is a welcome si...

Suns earn third consecutive GSC winRyan Casey McShane For the Courier The Golden Suns returned home for the first time since Oct. 7 to defeat Gulf South Conference foe Southern Arkansas 3-0 Tuesday. Tech (18-14, 4-5 GSC) won the match 30-26, 30-24, 30-23 for its third consecutive conference win against an SAU team that beat the Suns in five games Sept. 21. "We're playing really well right now," said head coach Kristy Kale. "We are enjoying ourselves and connecting with each oth...

Downey era officially underway at TechBy Danny Scott Sports Editor The Mark Downey era has officially begun at Arkansas Tech. On Sunday, the Wonder Boys basketball team went through its first practice under Downey, the former University of New Orleans assistant hired in April to replace Rick McCormick. Downey said Monday the Wonder Boys had a "pretty good" first two days of practice. The coach's biggest concern may be getting the team to jell quickly - Tech's 15-player roster feat...

Tech fans falling off bandwagonPlaying Catch Ryan Casey McShane For the Courier Anyone at the Arkansas Tech-Henderson State football game Saturday had the rare treat of being able to sprawl out in the Cyclone Stadium bleachers. The attendance level went from a season high to a season low in one week. The support tumbled following the Oct. 7, 31-13 homecoming loss to Delta State. Just to get a visual on the approximations of the attendance, the first game of the year against...